DOLLY PARTON'S ESTATE FIRES NEPHEW BRYAN SEAVER AS SECURITY HEAD

Dolly Parton's estate has dismissed her nephew, Bryan Seaver, from his role as her head of security, according to a Tennessee court filing. The estate was granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver last month, after Danny Nozell, Parton's longtime manager, requested it on behalf of She's Alive LLC, which now manages Parton's business affairs. The filing said Seaver's "terrorizing conduct" made his continued employment untenable, and alleged he threatened Nozell and other employees in an attempt to extort money. Seaver had announced Parton's death on 25 August in a video statement.

According to the filing, Seaver described himself as a "killer" and "literally an international arms dealer and mercenary", adding: "All I do is warfare." In a statement, Seaver denied trying to extort money from the estate, though he said other claims were taken out of context. He said he is a career soldier and military contractor who carries out arms deals for foreign governments. Seaver said the disputed messages amounted to "rage talk" exchanged with Nozell while the two were grieving, and maintained that none of the comments amounted to threats. He spent more than two decades as Parton's head of security, succeeding his father, Larry Seaver, in the post.

Seaver filed a motion in the Tennessee court last Friday, saying he needs more time to secure legal representation before contesting the restraining order. He has asked for a hearing on the order, currently scheduled for 9 October, to be delayed by around ten days. Emails attributed to Seaver have also surfaced amid the legal proceedings, according to reports. The dispute follows Parton's death on 25 August, after which her business affairs passed to She's Alive LLC.